Chamber and committees

I am pleased to report that ahead of this new benefit’s official launch on 15 February, 85,000 applications had already been received, many of which claim entitlement for multiple children. The Scottish Government has been proactive in promoting this benefit, prior to launch we wrote to everyone on the Universal Credit and HMRC tax credit databases who may be eligible, inviting them to apply for Scottish Child Payment.

Maximising the take-up of benefits and tackling child poverty are both moral imperatives and fundamental priorities for the Scottish Government. To drive take-up of Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods, we will launch a multi-media campaign next month, targeting parents through TV and digital advertising.

This campaign builds on the work already undertaken to raise awareness of the Scottish Child Payment, including the promotion of the benefit on commercial radio in November and December, a toolkit of marketing materials distributed through a number of key channels and 18 online Scottish Child Payment Stakeholder Roadshows held in late 2020 attended by over 1,600 individuals representing the third sector and local authorities.

The Scottish Child Payment will also be a central feature of our second Benefit Take-Up Strategy, which we will publish in the autumn.